From Dark Cafe Corners
by GreenEyedDanger
Summary: Ephram and Kyle head out to Denver under the pretense of seeing a piano recital. Kyle decides he doesn't want to drive three hours back home in the middle of the night.
1. The Cafe

They were miles from Everwood, under the guise of recital they were planning to see in Denver. They had to get out of town. Everwood was just too small. Anywhere they went, they were likely to find someone they knew.

Even here, in the big city, they caught a few suspicious glances as they headed to the back corner of the café. The pretended not to notice or care, though they both did. They just wanted to be left alone and not judged. But because that wasn't going to happen, they settled for looks from strangers over questions from friends.

The whole café was dark, this corner particularly so. It was nice. It provided a cover, a kind of thrilling danger. It was security and enclosing. Everything they needed it to be.

They ordered two scones. Chocolate chip for Ephram, plain with cherry jam for Kyle. Ephram ordered his plain black coffee, and Kyle ordered a hot cider, not liking coffee himself. It was the same thing every time. They made this journey every month, with some excuse or another. Each wished it could be more.

Ephram reached across the table, placing his hand on Kyle's. He could feel Kyle resist the urge to pull back. It was okay here. There was no need to the secrecy. But it was a hard habit to break.

Kyle smiled. Though just a small smile, it was still a victory in Ephram's eyes, as Kyle's lips usually only curled up in sneers. Though they'd been sneaking around for a couple months, Ephram had found he was a fool to have thought Kyle would change. He was still just as sarcastic and condescending towards him as ever. Ephram took it though, because it was truly Kyle.

"I don't want to drive home tonight," Kyle said as the waitress brought them their order, her eyes lingering awkwardly on their hands. Kyle withdrew his hand from Ephram's.

Ephram sat back in his chair, crossing his arms. "And what would our excuse be when we're not back in Everwood tomorrow morning?" he asked, ever the realist.

"Say you were drunk so we stayed the night," Kyle said, his need to always be right, always have the answers surfacing quickly. "People would believe it. It's you, after all."

"I don't know why I even bother with you," Ephram said, only half honestly. Sure, he really enjoyed spending time with Kyle outside of piano lessons and field trips, but in the end, he was still a pain in his ass.

"More reason than I bother with you," Kyle retorted, picking up his scone and biting half of it off in his mouth.

"I can see that," Ephram said, a smile forming on his own lips this time. Kyle wasn't the best at getting his points across, even if he did think he was brilliant.

Kyle swallowed. "What?" he asked. "You afraid I'm going to touch you now or something?"

Ephram shook his head, then picked up his coffee. "Sometimes, it's impossible to have an adult conversation with you."

"We're going to get back in the middle of the night anyway," Kyle reasoned. "I think it's understandable we don't want to drive when we're that tired. What difference will it make if we get back at three in the morning or ten?"

Ephram considered. "So what makes you the genius tonight?"

"I just don't want to drive all the way back tonight," Kyle shrugged, burning his mouth slightly on his cider. "I'll just fall asleep in the front seat anyway, and I'll be pissed when you wake me up, instead of letting me stay in the seat until I feel like getting up."

"This is Colorado," Ephram reminded him. "And it's October. You'd freeze to death."

"So then let's stay," Kyle repeated.

Kyle was being unusually persistent. "Fine," Ephram finally agreed. "I'll be paying for the hotel?"

"Of course," Kyle said. "I wouldn't spend good money on you."

"I guess this means I get the bed?"

"Screw that," Kyle replied. "Get two beds."

"'I wouldn't spend good money on you,'" Ephram quoted back to him.

Kyle sat huffily in his chair, eating and drinking his late night snack. Ephram did the same. Though amused, he didn't let it show. He was sure they hadn't quite reached a battle of the wills yet, but just in case, he wasn't going to let Kyle win.

The waitress came along to ask if they needed anything else. Ephram looked at Kyle to see if the other needed anything, but he was being plainly ignored. Ephram asked for the bill instead.

He looked at Kyle again. "Will you stop it?"

"Stop what?"

"Pretending I'm not here. I'd hate to stick you with the bill."

Judging by the look on Kyle's face, he wasn't amused. "You know, you might have thought of this bright idea an hour ago. I don't know how many places are still open for check-in after eleven."

Kyle shrugged.

The waitress brought the bill and Ephram put two tens down on the table. "Let's go," he said to his apparently mute partner.

Kyle got up, shoving the last crumbs of his food into his mouth, and followed Ephram out to his Jeep. Ephram opened his door for him, but Kyle ignored the gesture as he climbed into the seat.

Ephram went around and started the vehicle. The younger boy already had his head settled against the cool window.


	2. The Hotel

sorry this took so long. I'm getting ready to move for the third time in four months so I've been working in snatches.

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Kyle allowed himself to lie against the side of the door and drift. It was giving him a crick in his neck, and he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep unless he reached behind him and grabbed Ephram's jacket out of the backseat, but he had no intention of giving Ephram the satisfaction of knowing he needed him for more than a ride.

"You're not going to lay there all night are you?" came Ephram's voice at what Kyle had assumed was a traffic light until he'd killed the engine. "You don't look very comfortable."

Kyle stirred, looking out his fogged up window, seeing dim neon advertising a 24-hour hotel. He was impressed Ephram had found it, as he hadn't even been sure such a thing existed.

"What are we doing here?" Kyle retorted.

"You said you wanted to stay the night," the older boy pointed out.

"Well, I don't." Kyle was determined to be as difficult about this as possible, as he'd been given hell about suggesting it, and hadn't liked that at all.

"Fine. Stay out here. See if I care." Ephram grabbed the coat that Kyle had just been considering, and climbed out of the vehicle.

Kyle side, climbing out too, and following in the shadow of the other on the way to the reception area.

It was dingy and unkempt, and Kyle resented Ephram from bringing them here when he had money to take them to the Ritz freaking Carlton if he wanted. Kyle measured his worth against the stained walls, and the trash along the sidewalk as they headed for room one-seventy-two.

Kyle watched as Ephram slid the card key several times. Apparently that was old and decrepit, too. How fitting for Ephram, this whole place. What a cradle robber.

All the same, Kyle was grateful to get into the room, though it didn't feel much warmer than it was outside. At least his breath had stopped rising up in front of his face. His eyes landed on the two beds. Even when the fluorescent lights were turned on, the sheets looked gray.

Kyle climbed out of his jeans without ceremony, not looking at Ephram to see if he was doing the same, or looking at him, or anything. He climbed into the bed farthest from the door in his underwear and a t-shirt, pulling the blankets tight around him, feeling even colder than before.

Why was he mad? He'd forgotten to be honest, the brief minutes between the café and here in which he'd drifted off giving him a groggy, forgetful feeling.

He heard the other bed rustle, and groan under new weight. Unable to ignore Ephram any longer, Kyle turned his back towards the wall now and faced the bed that was just a few feet away from his own. He saw Ephram's shaggy hair and shoulders resting on the pillows above the blankets.

"Why are we still doing what I wanted when I'm not even talking to you?" Kyle asked at last, sitting up.

"You're talking to me now," Ephram said, not moving.

"But not really," Kyle pointed out.

Now Ephram sat up, facing Kyle. He wished that the older boy had taken his shirt off, but it was probably too cold. It was why he'd left his own shirt on.

"Listen, do you want to be here or not?" Ephram sounded irritated.

"Well not when you talk down at me like that." Kyle sat up as well.

"Well maybe if you didn't interrupt me my trying to sleep," Ephram retorted.

"I hope you don't expect me to apologize," Kyle said.

"I don't," Ephram assured.

Kyle didn't reply. He hated that the two of them couldn't be together, and they couldn't talk about it, because that wasn't how they worked. Kyle wanted to crawl into bed with Ephram, but he didn't want to ask, and he knew Ephram wouldn't offer.

It was always hard in situations like this, when they both wanted to be intimate, but didn't know how to approach it. Or at least, Kyle assumed Ephram wanted it. After all, he'd paid for the room. And sure, it had two beds, but maybe that was just being respectable. Or maybe he didn't want it at all.

Kyle hated not knowing.

He laid back down, turning his back to Ephram once more. After twenty minutes, Kyle was slowly drifting off to sleep at last, for no other reason than just because he was tired.

He felt his mattress lower under new weight. Kyle smiled to himself, scooting more over towards the edge of the bed so that Ephram would have enough room. The older boy laid down behind him, trying very hard to seem casual as he put his arm around him. Kyle saw right through it, but said nothing, placing his hand on top of Ephram's.

He felt a light kiss on his neck, and so he turned over with some difficulty. His face was now just a couple inches from Ephram's, and he could feel his breath.

Feeling safe here in the dark, Kyle gave his mentor and lover a few soft kisses before curling into him. He fell asleep at last with warm arms circled around him.


	3. The Way Back to Normal

When the alarm went off at six-thirty, Ephram really wished that he hadn't set it. They needed to get back home though, and had a long drive ahead of them. He nudged Kyle awake half-heartedly.

"Get your pants back on," he instructed the boy as he did the same. "Then go start my car. I'm going to go get what passes for hotel breakfast coffee before we go."

He tossed his keys on the bed next to Kyle and went to check them out and pour himself a cup of complimentary sludge. He was not a morning person, and if he was going to drive three hours, he needed something to get him through until they could find somewhere to get a drive-thru breakfast, once Kyle had actually woken up.

Ephram slumped towards his car, which he could see was running. It hadn't really warmed up yet though. He set his coffee in the cup holder and took his coat off, handing it to Kyle to use as a pillow. He didn't even get a muttered 'thank you' before he fell back to sleep.

So he was forced to drive in near-silence, the radio down low, although Kyle had promised previously it wouldn't bother him. His drink became cold and impossible to finish due to sheer gross factor.

Around nine, Kyle woke up. Ephram looked over at him. "Good nap, Sleeping Beauty?"

"Screw you," Kyle muttered. "I don't do mornings."

"Neither do I," Ephram said. "But one of us had to drive."

"Well, what did you stay the night for then?"

Ephram sighed. There really was no winning with Kyle. He doubted there ever would be, and he didn't want to push it. They were both tired, groggy and probably not in the best of moods right now. Instead, Ephram took a different approach.

"I suppose you'll want breakfast then?"

"If you're not worried you'll break the bank," Kyle replied. "I could go for a breakfast croissant if there's any fast food place in the next few exits though."

Ephram pulled off about ten miles later and dug his wallet out of his back pocket and got them two breakfasts, Kyle's with orange juice and real (more real than hotel, anyway) coffee for himself. He handed the bags over to Kyle and pulled back onto the freeway.

He glanced over at Kyle as he unwrapped his breakfast sandwich and handed it to him. Kyle could be a thorn in his side at times, but occasionally, he really wasn't all that bad. They both ate quickly, Ephram a bit slower since he had to eat one-handed and had a hot drink.

Mountains flew by them as they rode in silence. Neither of them were really big talkers, and when they tried to talk, it usually led to sniping at one another. Their relationship was definitely not built on communication. Sometimes this bothered Ephram, as their relationship wasn't physical, either. Sure they kissed, and had ventured further once or twice, but it didn't compel them along. He liked to think sometimes that perhaps Kyle may have respected him, but that was a long-shot. More than anything it just was.

Ephram felt Kyle's hand grab his as he put his coffee back. Ephram gripped back, and the last hour of their trip they just rode like that. Ephram dropped Kyle off in front of his house, and the two went back to their day to day lives, catching just a few stolen moments here and there, planning their next night away.


End file.
